Boundless Waves
by Leiyoi
Summary: [AU] Zoro, an ordinary fisherman, finds a large whale and a mysterious black haired boy on the shore. A Zoro Luffy friendship story.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece or its characters.

* * *

**Boundless Waves**

written by: Leiyoi

_Dedicated to Laboon! Ah, I just love whales..._

* * *

"Oi, Zoro. Get over here! We've got a big one on shore this time." A long nosed boy gestured to me from the doorway. Honestly, I had no idea what I was expecting. All I heard was that 'a big one' was on the shore. What did that mean anyway? I went out everyday, fishing with everyone else. What the hell could 'a big one' suggest? A big oyster? A big fish? A big shark? Whatever I was thinking, at the moment I stepped out of my door, I never would've expected for my life to change so much… 

The sun was just setting. I had to raise my hand to block out the blood red light bouncing off of the waves. In the distance, a large black mountain laid lifelessly on the shores. Fishermen were swarming around, poking at the mountain. At a closer look, I would've noticed that the black mountain wasn't actually a mountain, but that didn't matter much at the time. I was irritated. Usopp, the long nosed boy, had woken me up just to look at some mountain that had appeared on the beach? Whatever. My sleep was a hell lot more precious. There was still more fishing to do in the morning.

"That bastard won't let us get close…" A frustrated voice came from my side. That was Sanji, one of our most famous cooks in town. His fishing skills will never match up to mine and I really hate his smug voice, but now, curiosity was more prevalent in my mind than hatred. As I walked closer to the black mountain, I realized that it was in fact a whale! An enormous whale, lying on the sands, seemingly in pain. I could see the fear in its eyes.

"That's a really big whale…" I said stupidly, not really knowing what else to say. It was a whale. Stranded on the beach. And…did one of the fishermen just fly through the air, away from the whale? What was going on? Maybe I was imagining things…

"Hnhnn." An orange haired woman smirked and bounced towards me. "If we can get rid of the boy, the whale will be enough to feed our town for years! Sanji, you have to get your hands on it." This was Nami, another person I deeply disliked purely because of her tendency to deceive others. Not to mention, she had quite a one-track mind. It was always money, money, money for her.

"Now hold on…we're eating that whale?" I raised my eyebrow. How would we preserve all of the meat for all those years? And how were we going to cut it down to eatable portions? It would be like digging up a mountain!

"Of course! Our town would be famous for its year-long whale meat." I swear Nami's eyes almost turned into money symbols…and she still ranted on. "Imagine all the profit we would make and the tourists who would come. Don't you understand how much of a delicacy whale meat is?"

"Whatever." I shrugged. Another fisherman flew over my head and now I was sure that I hadn't imagined that first fisherman flying away from the whale. What was going on there? I noticed the orange haired girl's lips fall back into an angry scowl.

"If only we could lock up that annoying kid. He keeps fighting back the fishermen. Even Sanji's had some trouble against him."

The blonde haired cook with crazy kicking skills was having trouble against a random boy who was protecting the whale? I was starting to feel a little excited. What can I say? It would be nice if there was another strong person to fight against in the village. Pushing through the crowd of nervous looking fishermen, I finally reached an area where the fishermen would go no further. A black haired boy seemed to appear out of nowhere with a feral look on his face. He was growling. Almost like a wolf in a rage. I could only blink in astonishment as he glared at me. The boy looked so wild, with torn up blue jeans and an unbuttoned red vest flapping in the wind. His face was stained with dirt and his arms and legs were covered in sand. Some blood was dripping from his legs but the boy didn't seem to care at all.

"Damn kid. Go to hell!" Sanji ran past me and jumped, aiming a kick at him. The boy dodged and punched the blonde in the stomach, sending him back into the crowd of fishermen. Then, he disappeared around the head of the whale. It was incredible, the way this boy fought. He was able to keep so many fishermen away with a mere glance.

"Zoro, do something!" I snapped out of my trance as I heard Usopp's voice come from behind me. The boy was incredible, but did he have as much strength as I did? I stepped forward, sending him a challenge.

And then he appeared right in front of me.

Now that we were closer, I noticed that if the boy relaxed and took a nice bath, he would look like any other normal boy. But, he was tense and he seemed to be fighting purely on instinct. As if he were trapped and he could do nothing else but lash out at anything that moved. For a moment we just stood there, facing off. I could hear the breath catch in all the fishermen and I knew what they were thinking. If I were to lose, no one else would have a chance to defeat the boy.

"Stay away…" He finally spoke in a low growl. I admit, it was quite intimidating. And there was a desperation in his voice that seemed to register in my mind. As if he was willing to put his life on the line to protect the humongous whale. Like hell I would let such a strong person die here. I moved a finger. In a flash, the boy charged at me, ready to throw a punch. As if that would do anything against me. I caught his fist firmly in mine and smirked. I was stronger.

Suddenly, the boy twisted and flung out a leg, catching me by surprise. For a moment, I could only feel the pain tingling in my side. The boy was good. Fast and flexible. A formidable opponent. But I didn't let go of him and pinned the boy to the ground. He wouldn't be able to move now. I could feel the boy struggling desperately beneath me. A stampeding of feet started and I looked up to see the fishermen running towards the humongous whale.

"NO!" The boy beneath me shouted, twisting his head to watch in horror as the people stormed past us. When I saw the fear in his eyes, I realized that I had done something very wrong. "No! No! Don't touch him!" The voice cracked and ripped at my heart. It was a voice I would remember for a long time. The voice of someone losing the most precious part of their soul. "LABOON!" That must've been the first time I had felt the nauseating feeling of guilt.

I looked up and watched as the fishermen laughed together and patted the whale's body, as if sizing it up, ready to sell it on the market.

"Get away from the whale!" I shouted angrily, still holding down the thrashing boy. "It's mine." It was, wasn't it? I had been the one who caught the boy, giving access to the whale. The fishermen froze all at once and turned to stare at me in surprise. I could understand their shock. Even I was a little surprised at myself. I wasn't a really possessive person…so why did I suddenly want the whale so bad?

Nami walked towards me with a sly look on her face. "Would you like to make a deal with me? I'll clear all your debt if you give me the whale."

"No. It's mine." I heard myself grunt again and Nami frowned in annoyance before backing off. The black haired boy beneath me seemed to finally stop moving. I looked down at him and watched as his spirit seemed to disappear from his eyes. He was already at his limits, wasn't he?

"Nice, Zoro! Now you can pay back all of your debt and strike it rich!"

"Shut up, Usopp." I was feeling a little irritated by all the comments everyone had been making. This boy was fighting against all of them with his life on his line just to protect the whale. Obviously, the whale was precious to him. I wasn't about to cut it up and sell it for money. "I'm going back. Don't any of you _dare_ touch that whale. Got it?" I had to protect something that was precious to such a great opponent. It felt like my responsibility as a fighter and a person.

The boy was light in my arms. He was no longer moving. Only unconscious and breathing at a slow pace. I inspected him over. It looked like he had been in the sun for long amounts of time. His skin was peeling from his face and his legs were seriously scraped and torn from rocks. The boy really needed some medical treatment…

The crowd of fishermen dispersed, the excitement of the day finally over. Back to their houses and normal lives. They would wake up in the morning and go fishing, just like any other day. I, on the other hand, would be taking care of this boy and his whale.

Nursing a person back to health wasn't something I was very good at. I normally didn't even have anyone in my home at all. But, I cleaned out the scrapes along the boy's legs and wrapped them with clean cloth. Hopefully, it would do some good for him. He was still sleeping as I wiped his face clean of all the dirt and sand. He had a very boyish face and his expression was so peaceful that the feral look from before seemed almost unreal. Then, the boy's eyes snapped open, looking into mine with confusion. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. When he had woken up, I nearly leapt back from the bed he was lying on. Why the hell did he wake up all of a sudden? Didn't he just pass out from exhaustion a few minutes ago?

Almost immediately, the boy's eyes narrowed and he pushed me away roughly. What was his problem? I saved his whale, didn't I? But maybe he didn't know that yet… The boy glanced around the room nervously, backing away from me. I watched him jump in fright as his back hit the wall of the room.

"Your whale is safe. He's outside." Maybe if I said that, it would calm him down? What was wrong with him anyway? He looked as if he had never seen the inside of a house.

The boy turned his sharp eyes on me and spoke in a shaky voice."Laboon?"

"He's still onshore." I tried to reassure him. The boy jumped off of the bed and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt.

"Take me back there." He growled in a low threatening tone. I might've been intimidated the first time, but now I knew I had more strength than he did and I could pin him down again if need be. Now, I was more curious about the boy than anything else. I had never seen him around town or on the fishing boats. Who was he?

"Where did you come from?" I asked in my most stern voice I could muster. The boy growled again and his face contorted in anger.

"Take me back to Laboon!"

"Not until you tell me where you came from."

His eyes seemed to lose its ferociousness and he let go of me, slumping in an exhausted pile. Perhaps he finally decided that I wasn't dangerous? He lifted his head and stared at me with a distant look in his eyes.

"Out there."

"First, tell me where you came from." I was starting to get annoyed by the boy's repetitiveness. But the boy's eyes hardened and stared at me angrily.

"Out there! Out there!" He pointed randomly at the walls. Out there? What did he mean?

"You come from out there?" It was a strange sentence to say…

"Yes!" The boy nodded in frustration. "Now take me to Laboon!"

"Wait, so out there means…?"

"Out there!" The boy groaned.

"Where, dammit?!" Why couldn't he just say where he came from?!

"The blue!"

The blue? The only thing that looked blue around here was…the ocean. He didn't mean to tell me that he actually lived in the ocean, did he?

"So you live…out there?"

"Yes! Now, Laboon!" The boy seethed in irritation. I sighed. So he really did live in the ocean. It was hard to believe but…the dried and peeling skin on his face and the scrapes all over his legs all seemed to point towards the possibility of him living in the sea. No wonder he was protecting the whale. Maybe it was his friend. I opened the door for him and when the boy noticed the sea breeze wafting in, he bolted outside faster than a falcon. He was racing across the sands, towards the humongous whale who was glowing red from the setting sun. The boy stumbled once but picked himself up quickly before leaping and latching onto the side of the whale happily. I had to grin at that. He looked so content, hugging onto the rubbery skin of the whale. The smile on his face now suited him a hell lot more than the previous wildness I had witnessed.

"So his name's Laboon?" I asked him when I came close enough. The boy nodded, rubbing his face against the whale affectionately. Why was he so close to the whale anyway? Was it his best friend? I found myself wondering why he had been living in the ocean in the first place. And how had he learned how to speak?

Suddenly, the boy froze and I watched as his look of contentment shifted quickly to one of fear. He ran towards the head of the whale so that he could look into Laboon's eyes. I followed after him quickly. What went wrong?

"No!" I heard him shout and his hands clenched into fists. "No, Laboon! We're going back, I promise!" He had been communicating with the whale that entire time? The boy raced towards the head of Laboon and pressed his palms against the skin of the whale. I watched as he futilely pushed at Laboon, trying to get him to the water's edge, just a few meters away. I had to do something to help him. Somehow, during the short time we had met, the boy had grown on me. I stepped forward and stared at the skin of the whale. It looked too dry…and that must be a bad thing, right? I didn't know much about whales but if it lived in water then it had a reason for staying wet. He needed to pour water on it. Maybe whales needed to drink the water or else it would get dehydrated and die?

"Oi, stop that. You're not strong enough to push it into the ocean."

"Then what? What am I supposed to do?!" The black haired boy shouted angrily, pushing at the head of the whale with all of his might. "Laboon says he's going to die!"

"He won't." I tried to assure the hysterical boy.

"I know! I know he won't die. Because I'm getting him back out there!" The boy slapped the head of the whale angrily, hoping that somehow he could get Laboon back into water. His fists clenched together and he laid his forehead against the whale's skin. I could see the boy's torn heart in his face. "Come on, Laboon. Fight! You can make it back to the blue alive. Please…"

The mouth of the whale opened slightly and a low moaning noise echoed out, bouncing over the sands of the beach. I winced slightly. It was loud even though that was barely even a bellow! Suddenly, Laboon's eyes hardened and I watched, frozen to my spot, as the whale threw its enormous head out towards the ocean. It fell back to the ground with a mighty crash and I swear the entire town shook as the rest of its body landed lifelessly on the beach. That whale sure had some strength there…!

"Laboon!" The black haired boy shouted as the whale looked wearily back at him. "Hold on, I'll get you back to water right now!" He pushed at the whale again. I shook my head. He already tried last time and that attempt had proven useless. Why would doing it again this time do anything? The boy sucked in a deep breath and pushed at the whale's body. The sand under his feet slid back. Was he stupid? He had already tried it once. It wouldn't work! But then, the whale's body slid a few centimeters in the sand, towards the waves lapping up against Laboon's side. He did it! The boy actually managed to move Laboon a little. I raced towards him and smirked when he looked at me in confusion.

"I'll help you." And that was when he gave me a beautiful smile. It threw me off for a few seconds. The boy had actually smiled at me. And not at the whale. Maybe we were becoming friends?

I pushed at the whale's body as hard as I could. The sand under my feet kept on slipping and Laboon seemed like a wall that I couldn't break past. Everything seemed so pointless but I kept pushing at the whale. To an outsider, we must've looked so stupid. So small in comparison to the humongous whale under our fingertips. But, only we could see the miracle we were working here. Laboon was moving towards the ocean little by little. Millimeter by millimeter. I heard the boy next to me grunt with the effort of pushing his whale. But I knew that despite the difficulty he seemed to be expressing, in his heart, he must have been feeling so entirely happy to know that he could save his best friend. It must be such a relieving feeling.

Finally, somehow, we managed to push Laboon into the calming waves of the dark ocean. The boy sighed and leaned against the whale's side so that he could rest. I stood next to him, a little tired myself. After all, I would usually be sleeping during this time. The boy grinned widely and then laughed as the whale's fin flapped at the water contently. What joyful laughter. It was careless and free… I never heard anything like it in town.

The boy looked straight at me now. Curiously. What did he want?

"Who are you?"

What a late question. He should've asked me a long time ago…

"I'm a fisherman. My name's Roronoa Zoro."

"Zoro…" I grinned as my name rolled off his lips testily. He gave a small smile back.

"I'm Luffy."

Laboon shifted a little and flung himself out into the ocean with his remaining strength. His head broke the surface of the ocean, sending a great wave that completely enveloped Luffy and I in salt water. I spit out the salt water from my mouth and stared accusingly at the floating whale swimming around in the deeper area of water. Laboon seemed to look back at me with laughing eyes and Luffy giggled cheerily. Somehow I seemed to have made new friends…

Luffy dove into the water and I watched him swim gracefully towards the large whale looming in the deeper parts of the ocean. He broke through the surface and sent a smile at me.

"We're leaving then. And thanks a lot, Zoro…we'll remember you!"

What? They were leaving? Wasn't he tired or even a little exhausted from being out at sea all the time? As I watched them turn, I made a decision.

"Wait, Luffy!" The boy turned around expectantly. I stared at him. There was still so much about the boy I wanted to know. And they were leaving already? I wanted to ask him if he could talk to other marine animals. Or how he lived in the ocean. Or what it felt like to have the boundless sea right out in front of you and know that you could go in any direction you wished? I wanted to know! "Can I come with you…?" I heard my voice cross over the waves lapping up against the shore to the ears of the black haired boy.

He blinked for a second. Was that hesitation? He still didn't trust me, did he… But then, a bright smile spread across his lips and he swam towards me in a matter of seconds. I felt his wet hands hold onto my arms and then, he pulled me towards Laboon.

"Of course, you can! We're all friends, right?" He grinned. The humongous whale opened his mouth and bellowed a booming cry of happiness. I was joining their family. I would be free from my repetitive life of fishing. Instead of sitting idly in my boat, contemplating the vastness of the ocean, I would finally be able to explore the world. Unrestricted. A never-ending adventure with my friends.

* * *

**END.**

How was my first attempt at this kind of first person style? Weird, eh? Please tell me how I can improve on this piece.

Oh, and if you find any stranded whales, call for help because the whales can't flop back into the ocean by themselves for a reason... They don't have Laboon's super strength!! Yeah...and make sure that you pour water on it (not into it's blow hole or else it'll drown!) to cool the whale down so that it doesn't overheat itself.


	2. Chapter 2

_

* * *

_

_For Clarobell and pancakecows._

* * *

The ocean stretches out before us and the sun is dancing around in the salty water. Waves crash up against my body, rocking me gently back and forth. After such a long dive, the air feels fresh and clean in my lungs. I take a glance towards the two boys swimming closely together, in front of me. They seem to be chatting about something… With a quick flip of my tail, I glide closer to them. Luffy looks very energetic today. Ever since Zoro joined us, Luffy seems to be growing more open. 

"So, where are we going anyway…?" Zoro's voice rumbles in the ocean, a comfortable deep sound. As I swim closer, the green haired man latches onto my fin. He's been doing that a lot lately. Probably not used to swimming for so long…

"Eh…I'm not sure." I watch the black haired boy grin, his wet hair plastered to his face messily.

"WHAT?!" Whoa. Zoro's arm almost slipped off my fin! Hold on there…the current might carry you away… Luffy now hugs onto my fin, swimming alongside Zoro.

"Well…" I hear the boy start in a softer voice than usual. "Actually, Laboon and I have been looking for someone…"

Ah…so the boy was going to tell Zoro now, eh? Go on, Luffy. I don't mind. As long as you're okay with talking about it.

The black haired boy smiled and brushed a strand of wet hair away from his eyes. "We're… looking for my brother. We parted a long time ago…" The boy trailed off, glancing away nervously. I can see the anxiousness reflected in his eyes.

Don't worry, Luffy. We'll find him soon.

Zoro is silent. I wonder what he's thinking…?

"Oh… I see…" The green haired man nodded in understanding. Then, he said nothing more. What a good guy… He saved me and Luffy yesterday. And, he even noticed that Luffy was feeling uncomfortable about the subject now. Good guy… we haven't met many of those on this ocean so far, eh? Luffy? I'm glad that you've found a good friend besides me.

But…why is there an annoying silence now…?

Hey, cheer up, kids!

Zoro stares at me with an amused look. What? Am I bellowing too loud for you?

Luffy laughs cheerily and I can't help but grin inwardly. It's always nice to hear that boy's laughter. But I haven't heard Zoro's laughter yet. What would it sound like?

Luffy glances at me. He wants to try and make the green haired man laugh? Well… I must admit, it would be interesting… let's give it a try!

I flick my fin, sending the two people flying through the air.

"What the—?!" The startled shout from Zoro echoes in the skies and I snicker. I'll never get bored of surprising that guy…

Luffy is laughing all the way, even as they soar through the air and land on the top of my head.

"What was that for, you damn whale!" The green haired man is stomping his foot angrily down on my head. Ha! Try your hardest! Your puny kicks won't do a thing to me. Luffy's laughter only escalates in volume. Shoot. A failure. Instead of making Zoro laugh, I made Luffy laugh even more. Geez… what can I do to make Zoro laugh…?

"It's not funny Luffy!" I can almost see the green haired man clenching his fists together, seething with fury. If it is possible, I believe that the black haired boy's laughter grew louder again…

Oh…! The boy fell over. Careful now. Take a few breaths so that you don't choke.

Now Luffy is clutching his stomach and chortling. Wait…wait a moment…he's sitting near my…oh! That's it! Something that'll make Zoro laugh. I quickly suck in some water and then...

_Spiiiiisssssshhh!_

The black haired boy's laughter drowned out. Hey, I'm still swimming along calmly. Yes, let's pretend that nothing happened. I'm not guilty! But there is no movement or sound coming from the top of my head. Everything is silent. The wind is blowing as usual and the waves are still rocking me back and forth…

It's still silent.

I can imagine the black haired boy blinking stupidly up there, soaked in water.

Suddenly, an amazing thing happened! A deep chuckle is ringing along the waves…

Could it be?

The chuckle quickly erupted into peals of laughter. I can feel the green haired man holding his stomach for support. Heh. I would laugh, too. Wish I could see Luffy get sprayed with water by another whale…

Luffy slapped my head teasingly. Hey, hey. Don't hit me. I got the man to laugh, didn't I?

Now, Luffy's giggles join with Zoro's laughter. That's a nice sound…one is deep and rumbling…the other is cheery and open…

How content…

Luffy, even after we find your brother…

Zoro, even when the day you will miss the land comes…

My friends, I want to swim with you two forever.

* * *

**END.**

This chapter probably isn't as good as the first chapter...

But I hope you still enjoyed it!


	3. Chapter 3

_Drabble_...

* * *

Humans. What were they doing? Swimming out here, in the middle of nowhere, far from land…?

Mmm…that black haired boy. He smelled good to eat. Despite all the salt water surrounding the boy, I could still make out the faint smell of meat and blood coming from him. Ah yes, blood. It was trickling from the cuts in his feet. I swim closer to the two humans. That green haired man…he looks quite tasty. Lot's of meat on him. If I manage to kill them off quickly, their bodies will fill my stomach for days… Delightful!

My hundreds of teeth grind together in anticipation. How long have I not eaten already…? Humans have a disadvantage at sea. It will be an easy kill. I swim ever closer. They will not notice me…

Suddenly, the black haired boy turns to grin at me. I freeze in place. What? How did he know I was here?! The green haired man glances over his shoulder and swims towards the boy.

"Why did you stop, Luffy?" I hear the man ask the boy. I sink down low. Perhaps I can sneak in quickly and take a bite out of one of them…?

"Hey…isn't that a shark…?" The green haired man is pointing at me.

Shoot! Damn my dorsal fin…!

"Yep! Lunchtime!" The black haired boy shouts cheerily. I wonder what he means…?

There is something rising under me. What is it? I look down. It's…a humongous whale! It's head is almost three times as long as I am! Incredible… Could this be the rumored whale and boy, Luffy and Laboon? I remember my friend telling me about them as we passed by… The black haired boy named Luffy who befriended the monstrous whale, Laboon. Word was that Luffy had been abandoned in the sea... there were eyewitnesses from the manta rays and fish… Laboon had only been half my size then, I've been told. And the whale took care of the black haired boy…

But that rumor was from years ago!

Who knew that it was true? And that I would meet them today?

There is a mouth coming up to catch me. Laboon…he used to be half my size… How did he grow so…big?!

The end is coming. I can feel it. The mouth underneath me is opening wider. I'll never escape fast enough! Those humongous teeth. I am being swallowed! Cavernous. The light bouncing off the waves is disappearing.

Darkness.

* * *

_Oh, the poor shark_...

_Well, the ocean **is** an eat or be eaten world_...


	4. Chapter 4

___

* * *

____August 24th, Year Adelli_

_Clear weather. Still on course to Water 7._

_Stock: Lacking in medical supplies._

_Crew: One member gone_

_Today, I have witnessed something incredible…_

* * *

"Captain! Come take a look at this!" A rotund man gestured to me from the bow of our ship. What was it? He seemed pretty uptight about something… I smirked and complied with his wishes, walking along the wooden deck of our ship towards him. Hopefully he didn't see something that would cause too much trouble… Now, that would just go and ruin a damn nice day. He handed me a pair of brass binoculars and pointed at a small mountain bobbing up and down in the water. What the…? There wasn't a mountain written on our map… What could it be? I raised the binoculars to my eyes and peered through them curiously.

Woah! What the hell is that?! The head of a whale…! A humongous head of a whale! And…there seemed to be two people splayed out on top of its head.

"Did you see it, Captain?"

"It's…amazing!" I grinned, trying to focus the lenses to get a better look at the two people on the whale. There was a black haired boy and a green haired man. They seemed content and at peace… But wait, why the heck were they out here in the first place?

"Captain…? Captain! What do you think it is? Is it…?" I hear the rotund man say in anticipation.

"It's a whale. A huge one!" My crew members all stopped in their work and glanced in my direction. What a funny looking reaction!

"A huge whale…?" A man with a large red nose stepped up and grabbed the binoculars from my hands. Sheesh, talk about impatient… I watch the man in interest, wondering how he would react. Would he shriek in amazement? Or jump out of his skin in shock? But the man did neither of the two. A mischievous smirk only spread across his lips.

"It's Laboon…" He stepped back and handed the binoculars back to me. Laboon? The rumored whale who could swallow whole ships in one bite?! Actually…if I remember correctly, the first time I heard of a large whale who attacked ships was…wait, there was an article about it…an eight year old, lost to the sea because of a storm and a large whale ramming into the ship. There were rumors that the boy had been eaten alive by the whale…and then…soon after that, stories of ships disappearing out at sea arose among the sailors. It was rumored that the ships disappeared right after Laboon the whale was sighted…

Hold on…that dead boy in the article! There was a picture of him…a little, smiling black haired boy. I raised the binoculars to my eyes again and peered out at the relaxed whale bobbing along with the waves. A green haired man was lying in exhaustion, clothes clinging to his body as if he had just climbed out from the water. And… there was a black haired boy sitting next to him, smiling brightly. That black haired boy…! The one nine years ago, lost at sea! They were the same!

"Woah…" I pulled back from the binoculars and handed them back to the rotund man. The man with a red nose had disappeared… I wonder where he went off to…? But that didn't matter that much now. That black haired boy and Laboon interested me. "Hey, crew! You wanna get closer?" When I hear the chorus of agreement from behind me, a rush of adrenaline ran through my body. We'd be taking a closer look at the legendary whale and boy…!

Our ship was bobbing closer towards them slowly. I grinned, nearly leaning over the railing to see better. The wind was quite strong today, blowing my red bangs into my eyes. The black haired boy had turned to look at us now, a stern and calculating gaze. He wasn't a very trustful kid, eh? Good for him. There were little people on the sea who could be trustworthy. I gave him a friendly wave, hoping to signal that our ship was not dangerous. But the boy only seemed to stiffen even more, his eyes hardening and glinting at me ferociously. He looked only seventeen…and he could pull off such an intimidating expression…? I could feel myself gulp nervously. What an interesting kid… I signal for our ship to stop when the black haired boy's lips started moving. Was he trying to say something to us…? I couldn't hear. Laboon's fins flapped at the surface of water before turning slowly away. Wait! They were…leaving? Oh come on, I just wanted to be their friend…!

Suddenly, a blast came from the side of the ship. I gripped onto the railing in surprise as the entire ship rocked from the loud explosion. What was that?! A metal spear was splitting through the air towards the humongous head of the whale. I could only stare in shock as the harpoon pierced into the head of Laboon, sending a small spurt of blood gushing out into the ocean.

"LABOON!" I could hear the black haired boy cry from afar. The whale reared up, howling in pain, sending the green haired man flying off of its head and into the ocean. I turned to send a fierce glare at whoever had sent that harpoon.

"Who did that?!"

"It wasn't us, Shanks…" My first mate told me in a serious tone.

Another blast came from below deck and I watched in horror as another harpoon shot its way towards the whale again. The black haired boy was sliding down the head of the whale and jumped at the second flying harpoon. Was he going to try and stop it from hitting its target?! But the whale's fin lifted up quickly, slapping the boy back up to its head. The harpoon hit Laboon's side, sending another burst of blood into the sky, and the whale bellowed in pain again. The boy hastily dove into the water and swam towards the first harpoon. I watched as he latched his fingers around the metal, trying with all his might to pry it out of the rubbery skin. The black haired boy seemed so angry… so wild! So fearful…

Shit! Who the hell was doing this to them?! Just as another blast came from below deck, I ran quickly down to find the red nosed man cackling madly, peering out of a small window.

"You! What are you trying to do?!" I grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around roughly. He merely grinned back at me in excitement.

"Don't you understand, Shanks?" The red nosed man laughed loudly, pointing out the window. "If we catch Laboon, we'll be famous! And of course, we need to catch that boy who survived from being eaten by Laboon. Imagine the profit we'll make!"

"But, they didn't do anything to us! We don't have to make profit off of them." I argue back at him angrily. Why was he so intent on breaking such peaceful and content looking friends…? The red nosed man scowled and pushed me away in disgust.

"Fine, you go on staying poor. I'll become rich and famous myself…!" He lifted up another metal spear and hefted it into the canon with difficulty. No…I had to stop him! That black haired boy was fighting so hard to keep Laboon alive! How could I let this guy take the boy's friend away from him?!

* * *

**To be continued!**


	5. Chapter 5

_Boundless Waves - Chapter 5_

* * *

The metal wasn't coming out! The fresh blood from Laboon's wounds were running down the cold steel, onto my fingers. I couldn't get a good grip on it. My hands... they were too wet! Laboon must be in such pain... why didn't he let me block the second flying spear?! I tugged at the steel again but nothing I did was working. The spear was in too deep and the dark blood was trickling slowly down into my palms. Laboon's eyes were directed at me. He wants me to leave him and run from the ship?! No way! Laboon... don't you dare abandon me...! 

Suddenly, something flew around me, restricting my arms and legs. The waves of the ocean rose up and I sucked in a deep breath of air instinctively before crashing into the surface, plunging down into its dark depths.

What happened?

There were ropes surrounding me. Above my head... below my feet... I was trapped...! I kicked out at the ropes floating around me. No opening. The ropes stayed closed. It was refusing to let me go! Get this thing off of me right now! I clawed at the net. I fought against it, kicking and punching. But the ropes didn't budge and they seemed to be closing in on me. Like a prison... Maybe if I stayed calm, the ropes would let me go...?

As I stop kicking and punching at the ropes, something in the water caught my eyes. A few meters away, a dark figure was sinking deeper into the ocean. It was... a person...

Zoro!

My heart was beating fast again. How long had he been down in the water?! Before I saw that ship, he was already too exhausted from swimming without rest...! And now, the green haired man wasn't moving at all. Floating in the sea like a lost weed.

Zoro!

And Laboon was still up there, bearing those wounds... These stupid ropes! Let me go! I kicked out at the ropes again angrily. They did not part. The ocean is supposed to be cool against my skin... but my body is feeling so hot now. My blood is burning under my skin. There is a numbness in my arms and legs... my stomach is rising high in my chest. Zoro is sinking down fast... and Laboon is still up there, bleeding. What was this feeling called again...?

Fear...?

Fear...

I latched onto the rope and clamped my teeth down angrily on it. There was no time to think! There was no time to waste! Zoro was drowning. Drowning! And Laboon could be being shot by more spears up there! If the ropes wouldn't release me, I would get out myself!

When... had been the last time I felt... fear...?

So long ago... Ace... when you pushed me off of the ship, leaving me to fall into the coldness of the ocean. That feeling from years ago... it could rival the fear in me now.

I battled the cage around me furiously. What kind of ropes were these?! Why couldn't I get out?! Zoro was sinking into the darkness. He was so far away... I couldn't see any air bubbles around him...

"LABOON!" I don't know what to do! Zoro is sinking. Sinking. To the bottom of the sea! And these damn ropes are still around me...

Someone! Anyone! Save Zoro...!

My first human friend since Ace pushed me into the ocean... he was drowning now. Sinking into the darkness... How could this happen?! We just met two days ago! He was someone I could finally talk with other than Laboon. He was someone important. **_Is_** someone important. We're all best friends! He can't just abandon us...!

... someone help him.

... just bring him back to me...

My chest is starting to swell. I need air... and Zoro is disappearing into the murky darkness under my feet...

The ropes around me suddenly loosened. A miracle! I spot an opening at the top of the net. Who did it? It doesn't matter right now... I need to get to Zoro! Now! No time for air!

Kicking my feet hard behind me, I maneuver myself as fast as I can towards the green haired man. There is a new feeling in me... what is it...? My heart is still beating fast and my stomach is still rising high in my chest, nearly squeezing the remaining air in me out. But... I don't feel so bad anymore.

I dive deeper. The water is starting to crush against my body. Zoro...? Where is he? If I don't get him now... I'll lose my chance... A figure of a person appears in the waters. He looks so unreal... floating there in the water. Eyes closed. Lifeless.

Wasn't he just fine a few minutes ago?

I pull myself faster to him and grab the heavy body, bringing him close to me. Zoro! I'll save you. I won't let you leave me! The light dancing along the top of the water looks so far away though... and the ocean is choking me. But, I have to save Zoro! My friend! The water is getting harder to swim through and the light where air lives is still too far away... I reach a hand towards the flickering lights. If I can get back up there, Zoro will be saved...!

Something from under me gives me a rough push. What is it...? We are speeding towards the light now. My head breaks the surface of the water and the stinging air rushes into my lungs. I cough for a moment, gasping in breaths of air, and glance under me, finding a land of dark rubbery skin.

Laboon! You're okay!

He smiled at me weakly. I'll get those spears out of you soon. Don't worry, Laboon! But the green haired man lying lifelessly beside me... His body is cold. So cold... I shake him a few times. Why wasn't he waking up? There was plenty of air up here to breathe in! I lean over, pressing my ear to his chest, listening for the usual soothing beats coming from his body. But there is nothing there...! Nothing anymore.

"Zoro...!"

* * *

**To be continued...**

_I want to thank Clarobell for giving me this idea so that I could continue adding onto Boundless Waves. Thank you!_

_Oh, and_..._ was it angsty enough_..._? And I think there might be problems with my past and present tenses_..._ does that get that annoying?_


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning:**_ Some of the things in this chapter might not be factually correct_...

* * *

Never in my life had I expected to see something so spectacular...! I was peering cautiously from behind the cabin door, wondering why the ship had suddenly rocked so violently, and then I saw them. A teenage boy being helped by a monstrous whale. How was it possible for such a scary looking whale to befriend and listen to a mere boy? But there was something wrong with the scene. They should've been laughing together, swimming off into the sunset. Instead, the black haired boy was gritting his teeth in fury, gripping onto the wet shirt of a green haired man. Did the green haired man fall in the water? Why wasn't he moving? Did the man... drown...? The gigantic whale was staring up at the black haired boy in worry and pain. I scurried towards the railing of our ship nervously, noticing the whale's side bleeding from two hideous wounds. The waves below were staining dark red... Someone had to save that whale! And that green haired man... he looked like he had just fallen in. He could still be saved... Someone had to get a doctor! That black haired boy had such an anguished look on his face... I couldn't bear looking at it. Even from this distance, I could see the boy's eyes darting back and forth, searching and looking for any sign of life in the green haired man. Someone had to save that black haired boy! Doctor! Doctor! Where was the doctor?! 

Oh... that was me!

I stared at the humongous whale and boy, hoping that I could somehow communicate to them that I could help them. The dark skinned whale seemed to notice me. It's large eyes darted towards me as if I were a beacon or flag of hope. Yes! Here I am! I can help you get that green haired man back to life! He's not gone yet...! The whale stared back at me with an intense gaze, as if trying to make an important decision... Did it not trust me...? That whale had to hurry up... if I couldn't get the water out of that green haired man soon, it would be too late! I jumped onto the railing of the ship, spreading my arms out above me. He had to come! He had to hurry, before it would be too late! The gigantic whale's eyes hardened and with a great flick of his tail, he was speeding towards me. I nodded enthusiastically to the whale, beckoning it closer. I would help them bring back their precious friend! The black haired boy seemed to jerk up from the green haired man.

"Laboon!" I could hear his words as they came closer to our ship. "What are you doing?! Stop! Don't go there!" The black haired boy was pounding the head of the whale angrily with both fists. "Stop! Do you hear me?! LABOON! STOP!"

No, they had to come here quickly! If they did, I could save that green haired man and erase the fear and agony in the black haired boy's face. The whale seemed to understand and he was charging at our ship with determination.

"Laboon is coming! Abandon ship!" I heard cries from the crew behind me.

"No, wait. Don't jump off!" I stop them with a stern voice. "I'm going to help them. Get me closer to the whale." The crew members were staring at me in disbelief but I gave them a confident look. I knew what I was doing.

"What are you waiting for? Get our doctor to them now!" My red haired captain appeared from below deck, hauling up an unconscious red nosed man. The crew members started nodding obediently and I bowed my head towards the captain gratefully.

As our ship sailed closer, Laboon quickly met up with us and veered around to the side of the ship, sending a rough wave at us. The crew members were screaming out in terror but I looked on with unwavering eyes. I was the boy's and whale's only hope! The whale extended a fin towards me and I jumped on without another moment of thought. I could help them bring back their friend! Laboon's fin flicked me up into the air so that I soared towards the top of his head. When I finally landed, the black haired boy was narrowing his eyes at me, standing in front of the motionless green haired man protectively. He was growling, eyebrows creased together like a wolf, and his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. I could only swallow, frozen to the spot by the boy's gaze. But, when my gaze fell upon the lifeless form of the green haired man, I felt my fear ebb away, replaced with resolution. I had to help them even if they didn't trust me. It was my duty as a doctor! To help people!

"I'm here to save your friend." I told him as calmly as possible, hoping that he would let me past. Time was running out…! But the black haired boy's eyes only hardened more intensely, nearly freezing my muscles again. The rubbery skin under my feet seemed to shift up and I tried to keep a steady footing on the sloping head of the whale.

"He can help Zoro. Let him help Zoro." The loud bellowing words rumbled from the whale's body and the feral expression on the black haired boy seemed to fade off, replaced with a look of confusion.

"B-But... Laboon! They attacked you...!" The boy stepped backward slowly, still keeping his eyes steady on me. I took a step forward and the boy flinched. He glanced behind him at the green haired man and then turned back to me desperately. "You... can save Zoro...?"

I nodded at him wordlessly and quickly walked towards the green haired man lying on Laboon's head. He was unconscious and on his back. After kneeling down beside the man, I pushed his forehead back gently and tilted his chin up, to open the airway. Then, I felt for any sign of breathing. There was nothing, as I expected. The water in his lungs had to come out quickly! I felt for a pulse. There was none... I gulped nervously and reviewed over the steps for CPR. He could still be brought back to life! I know it! I searched along the green haired man's chest for the right place to compress at in order to start the blood in his body flowing again.

One and two and three and four and five and six and seven and eight and nine and ten and eleven and twelve and thirteen and fourteen!

Swiftly, I pushed the man's forehead back and pinched the green haired man's nose tightly with my hooves. Then, after tilting the chin up, I clamped my mouth over his and breathed into the man so that his chest rose, filling up with air. I breathed into the man again, forcing the air down his airway and into his lungs. Yes! It looked like he hadn't swallowed too much water yet...! Chest compressions again to get the blood and oxygen flowing back to the brain. And another round of artificial respiration. I couldn't pay attention to anything else at that time, focusing completely upon bringing this man back to life. Always just a little more. Just a little more and he would be back to life! Chest compressions again... the green haired man was throwing up a fountain of water and I tilted his head to the side to get the water out of his airway.

Soon, the green haired man was coughing, choking, and groaning. He was alive. Moving again. I sighed in relief and sat back on my feet, wiping away the beads of sweat running down my face. How long had I been repeating the procedure...? The black haired boy had dropped down to his knees, sitting next to me in exhaustion. Despite his tired disposition, I noticed the relief in his face and couldn't help but giggle inwardly. The black haired boy had such a beautiful smile. It had started out so small, only a ghost of a smile on his lips... but now it was spreading across his face, like a sun rising from the horizon, early in the morning. He turned to grin at me gratefully and I could feel myself blush in embarrassment. The black haired boy was staring at me so kindly. I smiled back at him. Wouldn't it be nice if he could always smile like that?

"What...?" Zoro was lifting his head weakly now, blinking in confusion at me and the boy. He coughed again before saying hoarsely, "Luffy? How did I... get back up...?"

The black haired boy was laughing merrily and staring at the green haired man fondly. Then, Luffy crawled towards Zoro to give him a tight hug, as if he would never let the man go. They were really close friends, huh...? I grinned to myself and slipped off the head of Laboon. There were still the whale's wounds to treat to. I couldn't forget that. But... I had brought back something precious to the black haired boy. And to see the boy so happy now was worth all of that hard work.

* * *

**To be continued...!**


	7. Chapter 7

_-

* * *

_

_Afterward, I explained to Luffy that the one to blame for hurting Laboon was Buggy. And then, the boy seemed to explode in anger, shooting an icy glare at the unconscious Buggy (who had in fact, a few minutes before, slipped on a coil of rope and hit his head against the harpoon cannon, knocking himself out). I explained to him that I would take care of Buggy and that he should rest. He looked really tired. I wonder how much pressure he is being put under, living out in the sea?_

_When he understood, Luffy seemed like he wanted to take our doctor away. Or at least hug him to death. Talk about an impulsive kid_..._! And Zoro was still trying to recover from his near death experience. I had all of the crew help pull out the two harpoons while Chopper took all of our medical supplies and treated Laboon's wounds. (Note to self: stock up on more medical supplies.) Thankfully, Laboon wasn't hurt too bad. He looked fine when they left_...

_I must admit, Luffy was an interesting boy. He could speak normally— although with a limited vocabulary at times— and he was quite shy around all of the crew, always staying nearby Zoro (I swear, he was like a barnacle, clinging and following the man wherever they went on the deck). I remember that as Chopper bandaged Laboon, I brought out drinks and started a party to celebrate our new friendship. I offered some of the drink to the boy and he stared back at me in confusion. Then, he took the mug from my hands cautiously and inspected it curiously, moving his fingers across it and sniffing it with his nose now and then. It was like he had never drunk from a mug before. Or_... _at least he wasn't used to drinking from a mug. I guess I can understand_... _I mean he was out at sea for at least eight or nine years, right? Not many tankards you can find out there, floating around in the ocean._

_Zoro was an interesting man, too. You don't see a guy with green hair often, do you? He drank a whole wine barrel, too! Compared to Luffy, the man seemed like a person who had more experience around people, although quite the anti-social man himself at times_..._ I wonder_... _when did Zoro join Luffy and Laboon? I didn't hear or read anything about a green haired man at Laboon's last sighting. But, there was something else that interested me_..._ it was the fact that he seemed so calm and collected even after drowning in the water. He just carried on as if nothing had really changed, chatting with Luffy from time to time, assuring the boy that he was okay. That was amazing. He could make a great sailor. Luffy, too. Maybe I should've asked them to join me? No_..._ I couldn't do that. They're on their own with the legendary Laboon, aren't they? Why join a little rag-tag group of sailors like us? Haha._

_Maybe they're true sailors. Ha, that's an interesting thought_..._ they're really living out in the ocean like a sailor ought to. We parted when the sun started setting. I will always remember their farewell. Laboon's huge eyes smiling down at us, back glowing from the golden light bouncing along the waves. Zoro grinning at me and giving a short wave before jumping off of the ship and diving into the water. He surfaced nearby Laboon's fin and climbed his way towards the top of the whale's head. And of course I'll never forget Luffy's departure. He gave one last hug to Chopper and then gave me a small, grateful smile_..._ I bet that his smile will haunt my mind for days. It was full of trust and contentment_..._ it was like the full moon in the night sky, I guess_..._ I can't describe it very well, but I'm sure I'll remember it later when I read back here. The black haired boy then dove off the side of the ship, breaking through the water below cleanly. The crew and I watched Luffy surface next to Laboon, and he turned to stare at us with large and innocent bright eyes. And then he turned away, darting through the water beside Laboon, never looking back_...

_-_

_Head count: 17_

_One missing. I think Buggy left while we were partying on deck._

_Damn_... _I should've kept a better eye on him. But I wonder where he'll swim off to?_

_-_

_Course: Riding the winds south-east. Still on course to Water 7._

_-_

_Stock:_

_10 portions of food left in refrigerator_

_21 dried portions in storage_

_3 wine barrels full, 7 empty_

_7 long paddles, 2 broken_

_7 bars of soap left_

_19 candles_

_6 lamps, 2 broken_

_3 harpoons, 2 need to be cleaned_

_5 cannonballs_

_10 kegs of gunpowder_

_Lack of medical supplies_

_-_

_Now that I think back on it, I wonder if those bandages on Laboon will hold_..._? Well, I won't worry about it. Chopper knows what he's doing._

_I hope I will see them again one day._

_-_

_Signed,_

_Shanks_

* * *

**END.**

And Luffy, Zoro, and Laboon are off to continue their journey...! The next chapter is still milling around in my head and I've got a lot of school work all of a sudden. So, chapters will be coming out slower... But when I get the chance, I'll definitely be writing for Boundless Waves!


	8. Chapter 8

_**Boundless Waves - 8**_

_

* * *

_

_Shhhhh…_

Can you hear them?

_…_

A school of fish, strolling through…

A large ship, cutting across smoothly…

_Shhh…_

Do you hear? Hear them speaking? Feel them moving?

I do.

A newborn life every moment.

A new death every moment.

_Shhhhh…_

A shark, gulping down a meal.

A ship, leaving port.

I hear, I feel.

They're all there.

_Shhhh…_

A familiar hand, brushing over me. Another one, calloused.

Large fins and tail. A whale.

Laboon, most likely.

And Luffy with him, no doubt.

The new one. Zoro, you say?

He seems tired again.

_Shh…_

A starfish, catching onto an oyster.

The cliffs molded around me, drinking me.

One fish disappears.

That Zoro did it.

_Shhhh…_

Another ship leaving port. The school of fish twists and turns.

Listen... Feel...

Newborns every moment.

Deaths every second.

* * *

**END.**

Hehe. Can you guess what it is?

I just wanted to try writing this and it turned out to be another little drabble. Kind of a dark and ambiguous one.

But, it explains how Luffy and Zoro eat, right...?


	9. Chapter 9

_Boundless Waves - Chapter 9_

* * *

How long had it been since the last time I saw them? That time when that beast, Luffy, and his whale were shot by harpoons? It's been seven long months… Seven. More than half a year has passed. Rumors had spread quickly again. About a new member joining the boy and whale. It was a fisherman who joined and made them a trio, or so I heard. And now they've become a legendary trio, probably because Shanks was spreading all those stupid stories about them…

Damn it!

Why couldn't I find them in these past seven months?! I had gathered a large crew and we'd been sailing all over the seas, just searching for those bastards. But we couldn't find them anywhere! Or at least, we couldn't find them until now…

I lift my telescope in my hands up to my eyes, searching along the shoreline for a green haired man and black haired boy. Yes, although they weren't on the shore right now, we had found them. At last! After waiting for seven long and hateful months, I could finally have my revenge!

It was only yesterday that I found them. As I was standing on the deck, deciding whether or not to dock at the nearest town to stock up on more supplies, I spotted the head of a large black mass along the shoreline. It was Laboon! It had to be! My heart had quickened its pace, beating excitedly in my chest. I had found them! As I watched the whale longer, planning an ingenious plan to capture him, two small figures walked out from the trees, as if they had just come back from town. One had black hair and was wearing a new looking red vest and jean shorts while holding a small basket of oranges. The other had green hair and was holding onto a fishing pole and a bucket. I quickly deduced that these two must've been Luffy and the fisherman! But, it was strange… didn't they live in the ocean? What were they doing on land? The fisherman probably could get used to land quickly, but Luffy grew up in the ocean…! How could he even walk properly? I lifted my telescope up to my eyes and observed the boy making his way across the sand. He was shuffling around uneasily, wobbling unsteadily on his feet. Heh, the stupid kid couldn't even move properly on land, much less fight. He didn't stand a chance against me and my crew. And what was he thinking? Going into town when he didn't belong there? This was when I decided that it would be a great chance to attack them! First, kidnap the boy. Then, lure the whale and capture him! Yes, it was the perfect plan. We'd go on land and take the boy by surprise. Of course, there was the fisherman, too. But he was only a fisherman. We could beat him in no time.

And so, that is why I am here with my crew now, waiting and waiting for those two to come back out to the shoreline. So we could ambush them and have my revenge! And make a fortune, of course. I scanned the shore with my telescope again. Where the hell were they?!

"Ah, hold on, Zoro!" I heard the childish voice of Luffy whine. "I'm still not used to land…"

Yeeesss, they were coming…!

"Idiot, we've been here for three days already and you can't even walk properly yet?" The green haired fisherman just came out from the trees, holding a large basket of lemons. There was the sound of someone stumbling and Luffy fell out from the edge of the trees, tumbling down into the sand. The boy was giggling to himself and his eyes were shining as he spotted the ocean.

"Yay! We're back home!" He cried and threw a handful of sand into the air. The fisherman was sighing in exasperation but he smirked and walked back to the boy, extending a hand out to help him up.

"We're home." He smiled and lifted the boy easily to his feet. I watched all of this carefully, looking for the perfect time to ambush them. Yes, while they were caught unaware… Laboon was nowhere in sight, too. The timing was perfect!

"All right, comrades! Let's go!" I screamed loudly, pointing my sword into the air. The boy and fisherman looked up in shock. Heh, caught you guys by surprise, eh? We quickly surrounded them, laughing at our victory. Yes, revenge would be mine! And then we could sell off the fisherman as a slave and make a show off of Luffy and Laboon. Wait… Laboon might be too hard to handle. We'd make a show of Luffy and kill off the whale as a set piece. Yes, that seemed like a good idea. I'm a genius! The money would just roll in... Huh? Oh, shit. I shouldn't go off daydreaming! I pointed the sword at Luffy, who had started to narrow his eyes dangerously. "You're mine, bastard!" I laughed, confident that he'd lose to all of us. There was no one to help you now. No Laboon or stupid red haired men to come to your rescue!

"Buggy…" The boy seemed to growl. His fists had clenched into fists and somehow his feet had grown steady on the sand. What? How did he suddenly get used to the land…?

"Ugh!" I heard one of my crew members slump down to the ground unconscious. When I turned my head in his direction, I found the green haired fisherman holding up a fist and grinning devilishly.

"Oh? You guys want to fight?" The man cracked his knuckles and smirked, "That's good. I've been longing for a good fight for a while…"

I gulped. What the hell?! Were my calculations wrong? No way! No way!! They weren't supposed to be good fighters on land!

"You were the one who hurt Laboon, weren't you…?" I heard the feral boy snarl. Cold sweat was pouring down my back by now. What had I gotten myself into? Wait… but maybe it was a fluke! We still had more people than them!

"Come on, bastards!" I screeched, pointing my sword onwards, "Attack!" And then I watched as my crew charged at the two sea farers. It couldn't be possible. Luffy had grown up in the ocean. How could he move on land? And that fisherman. He only fished, right? Why was he so strong…?! I watched as Luffy flitted around on the beach, sending sand up at every place he pushed off of with his feet while knocking out my crew one by one with his fists and kicks. His face was livid, contorting in anger. Damn, what have I gotten myself into…? Zoro was mowing down every sailor who was coming at him with his brute strength and agilely dodging the swords and knives aimed at him. How could this be? Had I underestimated them so much?!

"BOOOOOUUUUU!!" I heard an enormous bellowing noise from the sea. Suddenly, a large black head rose from the ocean and a pair of humongous eyes glared down at me. Ah, shit! Laboon!!

"R-retreat! Retreat!" I stammered and tore my gaze away from the super-sized whale. But all of my crew members were down. Only I was left standing… I gulped nervously and watched as Zoro and Luffy walked towards me, one smirking and the other frowning.

"You're gonna pay for what you did to Laboon and Zoro!" The black haired boy frowned at me and then disappeared in a puff of sand. Where the hell was he? Suddenly, I felt a heavy impact on my back, sending me off of my feet and towards Zoro. S-shit…! The man smirked at me and then punched me in the stomach, sending me flying into the sky. I coughed from the stunning impacts to my back and stomach. Where the hell did this strength come from?! Just by living in the ocean…?!

"Send him flying!" The two hollered at me and I winced, trying to regain my bearings. I was flying… the wind was rushing through my ears as I clutched my stomach to numb the pain. And then suddenly, my back hit something, causing my body to flatten out due to the force of acceleration. I had been stopped by something wet and rubbery… Oh no…

"BUUUUUU-OOOOOOOHHH!" Was the last thing I heard before I hurtled off towards a cloud, sent flying by Laboon's enormous tail. Damn. I had completely underestimated them…

DAMMIIIIIITT!! Ah, I'll get you one day for this! You bastards! You retarded trio! I'll get you guys one day! For sure!!

* * *

**END.**

Uh huh, I finally updated. I'm very sorry for the long wait... It's been seven long months, eh? I'm so sorry! But, I hope you still enjoyed this chapter of Boundless Waves! I've been working on two new long chapter fictions that have ZoLu in it (although nothing explicit and they could be seen as friendship, I guess...) and a number of other one shots that are centered around Zoro and Luffy's friendship and/or relationship. So, I will try to finish up this story as quick as I can! For I have many short stories and chapters to post for everyone to enjoy! Thank you very much for your support up until now and I am looking forward to seeing you in the next chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

_Boundless Waves - Chapter 10_

* * *

The waves sloshed against the side of the walls, lapping up and down softly. I floated silently in the waters, sighing to myself and waiting. It had been a few days since I was deposited in here and still those two people hadn't come by to check on me to see if I was okay. I had been floating around aimlessly for a long time now, with nothing but the dark cavernous walls and the occasional small rowboat and ship to accompany me. A few fish greeted along my path and I even met a shark swimming angrily around inside. I'm sure they had been in here longer than me, so I shouldn't have complained… But still, didn't those two people need me? That's why they put me in here and set off on their journey, right? Suddenly, the cavern rumbled and I could see a light coming from where I had originally come from. It looked like a sliver of moon, glowing brightly against the dark walls, illuminating the waters beneath me and the ships and fish I had passed. I wanted to see who was coming now, but I was too far away and couldn't see our newcomer. Perhaps another fish? Or another shark? But, I heard echoes coming from the mouth of the cavern. 

"Oi, Luffy… are you sure it was a good idea to store those lemons and oranges in here?" A low voice rumbled across the walls, causing me to quiver slightly. It was a good sound. I liked it. And then a higher and jollier voice joined in, creating a beautiful reverberating harmony across my skin.

"Mm, Laboon's stomach acids are strong but he digests pretty slowly. So, it's okay!"

"I don't understand how that works..." The low voice muttered with a hint of suspicion. But then there was a sharp sigh and the deep voice continued. "Maa, whatever. Let's just find those baskets of fruit. And my fishing rod." The waves were rippling now, as if the two had leapt in and started swimming in the waters. I thought that they were looking for me. They did say basket of fruit, right? I tried my best to swim towards them, but to no avail. Hopefully my thoughts would reach them and they would be able to find me…? Waiting silently, I watched as the two people swam around in the waters, searching and digging around in the ships, looking for me. I really hoped they would find me soon. It was lonely floating around with no way of controlling which way to go. Of course, sometimes it was nice to pass by the occasional fish or ship, but that slowly grew depressing because I could never stay floating beside them for long. Whenever we were in the middle of a good conversation, I would drift away again. And so, I wished that those two people would come and take me out. Take me out and see the blue sky again. It had been days since I had seen that beautiful blue… So, hopefully those two would find me quickly and take me outside.

"Ah!" I could see the black haired boy now. He was wading around in the water, pointing at something in a dark corner. "I found the basket of lemons!" He grabbed it and lifted it up triumphantly. That basket was so lucky, he could leave this empty and dark place…

The green haired man was standing on one of the small rowboats, fishing around for something. I watched him straighten, holding something long in his hand. "Aa, I found my fishing rod and knife, too. We could have sashimi today to go along with those lemons." The black haired boy had joined him in the rowboat and he danced around happily, clapping his hands together at the thought of having sashimi for dinner. Then, he stopped and rubbed his chin.

"What about the oranges?" I considerably tensed. What did the boy mean by those words? Was he thinking of leaving me in here because he couldn't find me…?

"Well, we haven't found it yet. Maybe it got digested." The green haired man shrugged nonchalantly. At those words, I felt myself go limp. They thought I didn't exist anymore. And they hadn't even finished checking all of the cavern yet. We were so close to each other…! Why couldn't they find me?

"Aw…" The boy pouted, tugging on the taller man's white shirt. "But I really wanted to eat those oranges…" The man sighed and glanced out into the darkness. I could see his eyes moving over the waters, studying them carefully. I could feel my hopes rising again. Perhaps he would find me! And then I could join the other basket out in the sun. We could chat for hours on end and become friends, with the entire sky to look after us. Please find me! See me...! I'm right here!

The man's gaze landed on me and I could feel myself stiffen, trying to make myself more prominent in the dark waters. But his eyes passed over me as if I weren't there. I could feel my hopes dwindling, crushed by that mere movement. The pass of his eyes. He had just looked right through me. As if I weren't there…

"I can't find the oranges, Luffy. I think it got digested." The man sighed and started to move off of the rowboat, back into the waters. He was going to leave… and I would surely disappear. Forgotten. The darkness from the cavern was enveloping me. I could feel it creep around me as I floated off, on an endless journey in the deep cave.

"Wait!"

I tensed again, glancing eagerly at the black haired boy. His index finger… it was pointing… at me?

"Wait, I think I see it!" The boy pointed cheerily at me several times and I could feel the swelling of relief in my heart. "Yeah, Zoro! The oranges are over there!"

"Wha…?" The man named Zoro turned around and this time his eyes landed on me. Seeing me at last. They knew I existed…! At that moment, I could almost feel myself glow and the boy dived into the waters towards me. In an instant, his arm enveloped me in a warm embrace and pulled me towards the light from the front of the cavern. I joined the basket of lemons and we shared a small smile, both echoing each others thoughts. At last…!

The green haired man smirked and ruffled the boy's head. Then the two people started out towards the light, carrying the fishing rod, knife, and us in their hands. Light was growing brighter, nearly blinding us and as we left the mouth, I noticed large hill-like white structures above and around us. Could these be… teeth? The glowing light started to clear. And then, the clearest of blue shone down upon us, smiling brightly.

_Welcome back_. It told us. And glad was I to be back.

* * *

**END.**


End file.
